One Life Stand
by John Galt the III
Summary: Mixing it up. Love, sex, money, greed, murder and betrayal; when these things combine, their lives will be turned upside down and forever changed. Two lives. One chance. One Life Stand. H&M. A/U.
1. Love You Forever

Disclaimer: Haruka & Michiru belong to Naoko Takeuchi. Credits also go to Robert Munsch. Everything else belongs to me.

**Love You Forever**

"Doctor! She's flatlining!"

"Give me 10 c.c of Epinephrine STAT!"

A nurse nearby quickly handed the adrenaline filled syringe to the attending physician. With the syringe in his hands, without another word, he jabbed the entire length of the needle directly into the woman's aorta region.

"One minute and counting."

Everyone in the room froze, their eyes glued to the wall clock hanging in the corner. The usual accompanying background noises of an ER were completely mute; the only audible sound heard was the sound of the second hand ticking away.

"30 seconds and counting…15 seconds…" A nurse announced.

The ECG monitor showed no sign of life.

"One minute's up! She's still flatlined."

Tearing the woman's hospital gown to reveal her bare chest, the doctor climbed onto the stretcher and began administering frantic chest compressions. "Get the defibrillator! Charge 150 volts!"

"Charged: 150 volts ready!"

"CLEAR!"

- o -

She skimmed through the shelves with her index finger, trying to find that one book she was looking for. She had just passed L so the M section would be coming up soon.

"What are you looking for?"

"A book…"

Michiru raised an eyebrow; questioning whether she had heard right. "Don't you think it's a little too early to be looking for children's book?"

"Nope. And here we go!" Haruka bent down to retrieve her long sought after prized possession with a childish smile on her lips. "My mom use to read this to me growing up back in the States. What can I say, it's a classic."

"I didn't know you were such a Munsch fan."

"I didn't say that I wasn't my dear Michiru...there's a lot about me you don't know…"

"Really? Like what?"

"Don't you worry your pretty face; you have a whole life time to get to know me better."

With the book held under one arm, with the other, Haruka took Michiru's hand in her other one, and began swinging their hands in a back and forth motion, like a couple of love stricken teenagers.

"Alright, so we have the book, clothing, formula, and diapers…I feel like I'm forgetting something…"

"Umm…the crib?"

"CRIB!" Haruka began smacking her forehead at her own stupidity, for having such a blonde moment. "How could I forget something so important?"

Sensing the blonde's immediate anxiety, Michiru began to gently pat Haruka's back in a soothing motion. "You have to relax Haruka. You're stressing yourself out for nothing. We have plenty of time, the baby isn't even due for another…what? 5 months? So please, let's just enjoy each other's company for the day. Hakuna Matata."

A heartfelt smile graced Haruka's tense face; Michiru always knew what to say. "Lion King? I think you've been watching too much Disney lately."

"What can I say, it's a classic." Michiru giggled whole heartedly.

- o -

After spending a small fortune clearing half the items off the shelves, they left the store with 5 large bags. Correction: Haruka left the store with 5 large bags; she wouldn't even let Michiru carry the lightest of the bags.

"Stay here; I'll go get the car."

"Haruka, I'm pregnant, not disabled, I can walk the one block's distance."

"Fine, if you want to help, here, take this." Haruka handed Michiru a single bag, the single lightest bag of the bunch, the one with her book inside. Just as Michiru was about to rebuttal, Haruka spun on her heels and hauled ass, sprinting down the street childishly yet as quick as she could, not providing Michiru with the slightest chances of objecting.

As Michiru stood there at the end of the street, her gaze hadn't left the shadow that was Haruka's back. Since last month's Braxton Hicks contractions scare, Haruka was becoming a helicopter parent, wait, scratch that, more like a helicopter wife. It had taken almost a year's time, and 5 sessions of in-vetro to conceive this miracle baby; Michiru couldn't blame Haruka for being such a nagging wife, at the end of the day, she meant well.

A sudden poking sensation against the base of her spine brought Michiru out of her daydream-like trance.

"Don't move or I'll shoot…"

Michiru froze on the spot, dropping the shopping bag she held in her hands from shock. The man's booze soaked breath wafted against the lobe of her ear, sending shivers down Michiru's spine.

"Slowly back into the alleyway…now!"

Michiru swallowed a lump that had collected in her dry throat. Doing exactly as her captor ordered, Michiru began to slowly back into the alleyway, taking the man's lead. Once hidden between the shadows of the two buildings, the mugger shoved Michiru to the floor.

"Please…just take what you want." Without contesting, Michiru handed the man her purse. Like presents on Christmas mornings, the man began rummaging through Michiru's purse, turning everything inside out, pouring out all the contents within onto the tarmac floor.

"¥3000? That's all you have?"

Pissed that he wasn't getting his money's worth of work, the man began to viciously punch Michiru in the face, breaking her nose, dislocating her jaw, and causing massive laceration tears on her forehead.

"Michiru?"

The sudden interruption of a foreign voice caused the mugger to stop dead in his tracks. Thinking quick on his feet, he covered Michiru's mouth with his massive right hand, with his other hand, he held a dead man's grip on her throat, closing Michiru's esophagus. Michiru tried clawing at the man's hands with her nails, trying to pry the man's hand off her face, but they were bolted tight, she couldn't get them to even budge. With her legs flailing up and down, Michiru began clawing and scratching at anything and everything, hoping for a gasp of desperate air. It didn't take long before her heavy lids drooped, allowing the surrounding blackness to consume her, numbing her senses.

"Michiru?" Haruka yelled. Just as Haruka was about to re-enter the store, thinking maybe Michiru had gone back in, she stepped on something. Taking her foot off the object, Haruka bent down to pick up the bag she had handed Michiru only moments earlier, with her book still inside. Haruka's eyes doubled in size as a look of worry and panic struck her. Pulling her cellphone out, Haruka quickly dialed the familiar number as she began running up and down the length of the block.

As Haruka ran passed a coffee shop, a faint yet familiar sound caught her ears, causing them to perk up. It was faint but Haruka recognized that tune from anywhere, it was Michiru's ringtone! Running back down the opposite end of the street, Haruka stopped dead in her tracks in a secluded alleyway in between a salon and an adult video store; it was there that the ringtone was at its loudest.

Entering the urine soaked alleyway with caution, Haruka inched forward, step by step, with each step she took, her heart raced faster. The cellphone Haruka had gripped in her hand slipped from her loosened grasp; she had found Michiru.

- o -

"How bad is it?" Haruka asked in a broken voice; she was choking up from her river of tears.

"Not good. She had been deprived of oxygen for an extensive amount of time. From an EEG we conducted, Ms. Kaioh's…"

"JUST STOP!" Haruka released a loud sigh before raising her arms up in the air apologetically. "Just…please, layman's term."

"She's brain dead…"

The doctor's words hit Haruka in the face like a brick wall. Haruka's legs fell from under her as she landed on her ass, her knees pressed against her chest, sitting in a cradling position. Taking a handful of her blonde locks, Haruka began to silently sob away at the pain building against her chest, as the reality of the situation began to process in her mind numbing brain. As tear after tear began to stream down her silk like cheek, Haruka began banging the back of her head against the hospital walls. Thud after thud. Bang after bang. It wasn't until the attending doctor had cushioned his hand against the wall did she stop.

"…I wasn't done yet. As you are well aware, there is the issue of the fetus…"

It was the first time anyone had mentioned the baby. At the first mention of their child, Haruka immediately gripped the man's collars, pulling him closer. "What about the baby?"

"Ms. Kaioh's body is experiencing shock, even after her brain death. She's experiencing multiple organ failure, her lungs have been compromised, her kidney is failing, and her liver is starting to bleed out internally. If the fetus continues to stay in the womb, the toxins secreted by the failing organs will severely compromise its development, and in extreme cases, death."

"…fuck." Was all Haruka could bring herself to vocalize.

"Ms. Kaioh had entered her second trimester some time ago. The fetus' organs have already developed, just not fully. If we perform an emergency caesarean section, with intensive neonatal care, the fetus has at least a 40% survival rate. But…"

"But what…?"

"The hospital can't perform the C-section even with your consent. Ms. Kaioh's body is too unstable for surgery. Even with your consent, its suicide, there's no way our legal department or our malpractice insurance will green light it. As long as Ms. Kaioh is living, and breathing, we cannot perform this risky operation."

Haruka sprang up from her seating position to slam the doctor against the wall, her grip not loosening once around his collar. "You want me to choose between my wife and my child?"

"I didn't say that…but essentially, yes."

"What the fuck is wrong with you!" Haruka raised her right fist high into the air, ready to strike the man that was supposed to be Michiru's doctor, the man who saw to it that she gets the best damn care available.

"You can hit me but that won't change a thing. I'm asking you to be logical, for the sake of the child. With each passing hour, the fetus' neurological development and health is compromised with Michiru's condition."

Haruka's fist dropped in mid air, her head held lowly. "How long do I have to make this decision?" Haruka asked with a heavy hearted sigh.

"One hour, two hours max. Ms. Kaioh's currently on a medical ventilator…"

"…I understand."

- o -

There were so many machines and tubes coming in and out of Michiru that it pained Haruka to no end, yet with her eyes closed, it looked like Michiru was just dozing off again, ready to wake up any moment now, refreshed from her nap. Taking one of Michiru's hands that didn't have an IV in it, Haruka brought the delicate hand up to her lips for a gentle, yet loving kiss. Haruka held Michiru's hand to her cheeks, allowing her tears to soak her delicate skin.

This was the hardest hour of Haruka's life, and she wanted it to be memorable, for both her, and Michiru. Releasing Michiru's hand, Haruka surveyed the room until she found what she was looking for, placed in a secluded corner. There, Haruka picked up the dirtied white bag, and the book they had purchased together earlier.

Taking Michiru's now iced cold hand into her own once more, Haruka swallowed hard before continuing on. Her voice began to break, in barely a whisper, Haruka began reading to Michiru.

_**"A mother held her new baby and very slowly rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, and while she held him, she sang: I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living, my baby you'll be."**_

The hardcover book was only 32 pages in length, and would have taken no more than 5 minutes max, but Haruka read in a steady and slow pace, prolonging the inevitable for as long as she could. It wasn't until Haruka got to the last page did tears once again consume her eyes, her hands shaking uncontrollably, all the while holding Michiru's hand.

In the last sentence of the book, Haruka read: **_"I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living, my wife, my Michiru you'll be."_**

Closing the book with a reluctant clasp, Haruka gently placed the book on Michiru's chest, above her baby bump. Taking a deep breath, Haruka walked over to the ventilator that was by Michiru's bedside. With an unsteady hand, Haruka pressed the power down button on the machine, immediately deactivating the air reservoir tube.

Haruka bent down and kissed Michiru's sweet lips one last time. As a single droplet of tear fell from Haruka's cheek onto Michiru's face, Haruka whispered: "I'll love you forever."

- o -

**A/N: Guess who's back? Huh? Eminem? No. Me. Jce. Anyway, I'm done being lazy and well…lazy, so I'm back to writing. But I've decided to try something new. This new project will be a series of one-shots. We'll see how it goes.**

**This story was inspired by Robert Munsch's book: Love You Forever. I don't know why, I was walking through a bookstore and it sort of jumped out at me. Seriously. It bit me in the fucking ear. The clerks had to beat it down with a swifter wet jet. Regardless, many of you have probably read it before, and if you haven't, go watch an episode of Friends: The One With The Cake, for a rendition. This is my little spin on the book. **

**Tell me what you think. I'm going to get working on my other two crazy assed creations now. **

**w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-e-e-e-e-e-e…**

**PS: Did it bring you down? Even just a little? Maybe a little?**


	2. If We Ever Meet Again

Disclaimer: Haruka & Michiru belong to Naoko Takeuchi. Everything else belongs to me.

**If We Ever Meet Again**

"Don't do this! I have three little girls, they need me! Whatever it is that you want or need, just take it! I swear to God that I'll keep quiet, I won't go to the police, just PLEASE!"

Nothing. Absolute silence.

The woman couldn't help herself as she broke down into tears once more as she desperately pleaded. "PLEASE! Just let me go! I won't tell anyone…plea…se…"

"The only people I trust to keep their mouth shut are dead people. You women are all alike: power hungry and whores. Whoring themselves out for positions and power, using their bodies to get their way. What's left? Leaving your husband for another man! Leaving your child to be abused over and over again! Your girls are better off without you."

"You have some serious fucking issues! FUCKING FREAK! Let me go! LET ME…"

She didn't get to finish as a sharp edged scalpel was jammed into her external carotid artery. The moment her skin was torn, blood began gushing out like a broken dam that was beyond repair. Every word she struggled to say, every breath she struggled to take, would only result in a bone chilling gurgling sound emitting from her rupture windpipe.

As blood began overflowing the surgical table, she tried moving her hands and flailing her legs, but the restraints were doing its job of latching her tight against the cool steel. Her upbeat struggle only continued for a minute or so longer, it didn't take long for liters upon liters to drain itself from her system. Death was instantaneous.

"Game over."

- o -

The sun was shining bright, not a single cloud could be spotted within a 2 mile radius, the sweet aroma of spring was carried lightly in the air by its cool gusts; it was the perfect day.

It wasn't very often she would be hired as a performing act, but in those rare occurrences when she does, it's always memorable. For the party, Michiru had decided to perform 3 contemporary, upbeat pieces instead of her usual classical pieces; it was more fitting for both the wonderful weather and the event.

The dress Michiru had chosen to wear for the day was a Vera Wang; a bright red one piece dress, trim fitting, going over one shoulder, with an open back design. The dress was stylish, tasteful, and extremely expensive. Michiru wouldn't be able to afford the dress even if she sold both her kidneys; it was that damn pricey. Instead of buying, Michiru had opted to rent, though she had to be extraordinary careful; one stain and she would lose her deposit for the gown, and with it, her lunch money for the month.

Maneuvering in between drunken, tipsy guests with care, Michiru was attempting to hunt down the owner of the mansion for the remainder of her fees; something much easier said than done in the giant man-made maze. The first floor, the second floor, and finally the third floor; the man couldn't be found. Grabbing a glass of champagne from a passing waiter, her 3rd glass for the day, Michiru gulped the entire glass of bubbly concoction in one breath; this was going to be a long day.

The gala for the day was being thrown by some power hungry millionaire looking to expand his social network. Michiru didn't know how he stumbled upon her number, or how he had came to know her, and now she was paying the price; she didn't know if she would be paid. Money was tight for her, every cent counted. Replacing her emptied glass with a fresh one, Michiru gingerly made her way to the gardens. The open concept garden was spacious enough to house an amusement park.

As Michiru began to mindlessly wander around the green garden, she mostly kept to herself, not because she was too stuck up or shy, far from it, she was starting to feel the effects of the alcohol take a toll on her body. Michiru didn't want to waste anymore time, she had to decide now, continue her search for the non-existent ghost of an owner or head home and come back another day. Wobbling for a minute on the spot, contemplating her choices, Michiru opted for option B: she would come back another day.

Holding her purse close to her chest, Michiru began to back away from the gathering crowd of people. "Excuse me. Excuse me. Excuse…" Without looking, Michiru backed right up into an oncoming guest. The worst of it was the guest wasn't holding a cup of bubbly champagne but a glass of '89 Bordeaux red wine. The force of the head on collision caused the entire cup's Bordeaux content to go airborne, only to land on both the occupants of the collision. Majority of the red wine landed on Michiru's Vera Wang gown, while the remainder landed on the guest's white dress shirt.

"Shit!" Were the first word out of Michiru's mouth; she didn't often cuss, but cussing were the least of her worries now. "I'm so sorry." Michiru lifted her head to come face to face with a pair of piercing teal eyes staring right back. At that moment in time, she was at lost for words.

The blonde guest couldn't help but laugh. "I think I should be the one to say sorry, I'm not the one who got the worst of it." The guest pointed at Michiru's dress. "It's my fault; I should have looked where I was going. Allow me to pay for the dry cleaning."

"It's the stain I'm worried about…" Michiru mumbled under her breath.

Reaching into her wallet, the blonde guest produced a business card. "Here take this. The owner there is a miracle worker. Tell him that Haruka Tenoh recommended you; he'll add it to my tab." The blonde then reached over to touch the strap sitting on Michiru's shoulder. "Chiffon silk. Great choice."

Once again Michiru was speechless; all she could do was take the card she was handed. She made a mental note of the name 'Haruka Tenoh'. "Thank you. Pleasure to meet you, I'm…" But before Michiru had a chance to introduce herself, the facial expression on the blonde took a 360° turn, from joyous and delightful to a look like she had just seen a ghost from afar.

"Sorry. We'll meet again." Without another word, the blonde turned on her heels and began working her way in and out the crowd at an alarming speed, leaving Michiru to stand there with her mouth agape, business card still in hand.

"Kaioh-san."

Michiru turned around at the sound of her name, that's when she spotted her long sought after owner of the house. "Kimi-san, I've been looking all over for you."

"Apologies Kaioh-san, been busying mingling with my guests. Your performance today was nothing short of exquisite. You deserve every penny." The man reached into his pair of dress pants and presented Michiru with a personal cheque; the sum on the cheque made Michiru's eyes double in size, she could afford to pay her tuition for the coming year and then some.

"Thank you Kimi-san."

"No need to thank me Kaioh-san, you deserve it."

Michiru gave the respective businessman a courteous 90°. Just as she was about to turn on her heels and too leave; she decided to ask that one nagging question that had been at the back of her mind all day. "Excuse me Kimi-san. If you don't mind me asking, how did you get my number?"

"You were highly recommended by one of my associates. You know her too."

"Her?" Michiru questioned with an arched eyebrow.

"I saw you talking to her a moment ago. Haruka Tenoh."

"Haruka Tenoh? You must have mistaken…"

"No mistake about it. And I'm sure as Hell glad she did."

- o -

Michiru placed a hand over her mouth as she let yet another yawn leave her lips. After making her round in the Oncology ward for the night, she couldn't wait to plop down on a chair at the nursing station. Everybody had dreams, but when dreams and reality clash, reality would always triumph. Michiru Kaioh was an aspiring musician, a violinist to be exact, but only on the sideline when she wasn't working graveyard shifts and going to school for her M.D. The only good news to come out of yesterday's disaster was her end-of-the-day paycheque; she didn't have to worry about paying for tuition next year. Who knew med school could be so costly?

With her head resting on her arm, Michiru closed her eyes for a few moments' peace. A moments' peace that was soon annoyingly interrupted.

"Michiru! Did you read the news today?"

"No. What?" Michiru mumbled softly; being only mildly intrigued.

"There's been another victim! I hear it's a cardiologist from Princeton-Plainsboro this time."

"Uh-huh."

"The police have only recovered her arms and parts of her torso when it washed up on shore. The sick bastard!"

"Uh-huh."

"Michiru! Are you listening? This is life saving information I'm preaching here!"

With a loud sigh, Michiru pushed herself up from the nursing station desk; ready to give Mina a piece of her tired mind when the PA system sent out a page.

"Paging Kaioh. Paging Kaioh. Please report to Triage for a patient pick up."

Michiru wanted to rip her aqua locks from her head out of her pure frustration. She couldn't get a moments' piece of silence. It was 3am in the morning, yet patients kept pouring in at all hours of the day.

"Let's go Michiru; I'll walk with you."

Grudgingly, Michiru got up from her comfy seat and made the long walk to the Triage department, all along the way with Mina's annoying, nagging voice in her ears. This was going to be a long and painful night. Little did she know; her night had only just begun.

- o -

With the picks in hand, it only took a few tries till the cheap lock popped open with a familiar clicking sound; the mechanisms within granting the picker access. The locker didn't house much, a gown, a bag of hygiene products, a thermos, and a purse.

With a pair of the same calm hands, the thief reached into the purse and began digging. It didn't take long for the thief to fish out a wallet, the prized possession of the hunt. With wallet in hand, the thief closed the locker door once more, and gingerly snapped the lock closed.

The thief returned everything to its original state. Nothing out of the ordinary.

- o -

"I'm telling you Dr. Yori, you will not regret this. With 3 brand new Johnson & Johnson CT scanners, it'll put your hospital on the map. And I'm sure we can work out a payment plan that's best suited to your budget."

Dr. Yori gave a soft chuckle, extending his hand for a firm shake. "You sure know how to pitch a sell Tenoh-san. What can I say? You made the offer irresistible."

"Excellent. I'll swing by tomorrow, say afternoon, to bring you the paperworks."

"Great. See you then Tenoh-san."

Haruka closed the door to the man's office upon leaving. She stuck out her right hand; her watch read 3:47am. Haruka gave herself a lopsided grin. 47 minutes was all it took for her to close a deal, worth a whopping $6.75 million USD in commission; not bad for a night's work, that and she had time to spare. With her briefcase in hand, Haruka began strolling down the 4th floor ward of the hospital, with a look of assertiveness on her face.

In the dimly lit hallway, Haruka began turning her head left and right, looking, searching. She checked her watch again. She was on time. As Haruka rounded a corner on her right, without looking where she was going, she ran right into a nurse. The moment the two bodies collided, the blonde had a sudden rush of déjà vu; the hairs on her neck stuck up from the sensation.

"I'm sorry. Here." Haruka offered her hand to the fallen nurse. It wasn't till she had gotten the fallen nurse back onto her two feet did she recognize the familiar face. "Hey! It's you."

Sure enough, Michiru recognized the pair of piercing teal eyes from yesterday, it was the same blonde she had ran into yesterday. "Tenoh-san? What a small world…What are you doing at the hospital at 4am in the morning?"

"Please, call me Haruka. I had to squeeze in a meeting with your Dean of Medicine before he goes flying across the globe for a convention. Like you, I'm working all hours of the day; that's what you get when you sell medical equipment."

Michiru simply nodded her head; her eyes not once leaving the blonde's gorgeous eyes. It wasn't till she realize that she was staring rudely did she snap herself out of her trance. "Where are my manners? Hi, I'm…"

"…Kaioh Michiru."

Michiru was taken aback by the blonde's answer. Maybe Kimi-san was right…maybe they had met before. "How did you…? Have we met?"

Haruka gave the smaller woman a soft chuckle. "No, we haven't." Haruka pointed to the ID tangling around Michiru's neck. "It says on your identification card."

Sure enough, there worn on her neck was her nurse registration ID, and with it her name. Just as Michiru was about to open her mouth and give the blonde a run for her money, the same annoying page came on the PA, rudely interrupting her for the second time that day.

"Paging Kaioh. Paging Kaioh. Code blue: please report to the Intensive Care Unit stat!"

"I'm sorry, I have to go. Um, it was nice meeting you."

Haruka waved it off. "Don't worry about it. We'll meet again."

Michiru nodded her head before running off in a sprint towards the stairwell, leaving Haruka to stand there in the middle of the hallway, her lingering teal eyes on the aqua haired woman.

- o -

To people who worked outside the medical profession, there's a misconception that the graveyard shift in a hospital were the easiest, most laid back of the shifts. Boy, are they wrong. After a backbreaking night of non-stop running back and forth from wards, after wards, and pushing papers, Michiru and Mina were finally done their shifts. As the duo headed to the women's change room, the pair changed relatively quickly and quietly, and headed together to the main lobby to part ways.

"When's our next shift?" Mina asked.

Michiru checked the time on her cellphone, it currently read 5:29am. "Not for another 16 hours. I guess I'll see you then."

"You want a lift? I drove today."

Michiru waved her blonde friend off as she headed the opposite direction. "No thanks Mina; it's a short walk to the dorms, I'll be fine. I'll see you tonight. Get some sleep! Cut back on the sex; it'll only tire you out."

"I'll think about it." Was Mina's last words to her aqua haired friend.

As with all hospitals, St. Michael's hospital provided residency dorms to its entire medical staff that required housing, while others with the money and resources chose to live off campus. To Michiru, the dorms were a haven. For a fraction of the rental costs in Tokyo, she had a roof over her head; what more could she ask for? A brief 5 minute walk later, Michiru arrived at the dormitories doors.

Like every day she had done for the past 2 years' of her residency, Michiru reached into her purse, looking for her wallet where she kept her keycard. When she didn't find the familiar bulk in its usual pocket, Michiru began turning her purse inside out, looking for her familiar black wallet. Nothing. It wasn't here.

Frantic, Michiru began retracing her steps. She was certain she had her wallet with her when she signed in for the start of her shift; she bought a fruit cup in the cafeteria, placed the wallet back in her purse, and placed the purse in her locker. Her wallet must have fallen out her purse, and was no doubt now sitting in the corner of her locker; she couldn't have left it elsewhere. A loud frustrating sigh escaped Michiru's lips.

Michiru began stuffing everything she had poured out her purse back in; just as she was ready to swing around and head back to the hospital; her cellphone began vibrating in her pocket. Frustrating isn't a strong enough word; Michiru was now irked.

"What?" Michiru yelled into the receiver rudely.

"Kaioh-san?" A husky voice asked on the receiving end.

Michiru immediately recognized the voice. "Haruka?"

"Hey, you remembered."

"How'd you get my number?"

"That's actually why I'm calling you at this hour. When we bumped into each other earlier, you dropped her wallet."

"I did?" Michiru began to question herself. And here she was certain that she had left it in her storage locker.

"I would return it to you in person but I'm leaving for a flight soon. Would you be able to pick it up at my place?"

"Where's that?"

"I live in the 1350 apartment building behind the hospital. I can drop it to you in the lobby if you'd like?"

"That'd be great." Finally something was going Michiru's way.

"Great. My buzzer is: 1408. Buzz me when you get to the lobby."

"Thank you Tenoh-san."

"Haruka." The husky voice asserted firmly. "I'll see you then."

- o -

It was 5:49am in the morning and Michiru still wasn't in bed yet; her body was physically drained and fatigued. The only bright side Michiru could look forward to was the fact that the blonde didn't lie. From her dormitory to Haruka's place, they were only a 7 minute walking distance apart. At the brightly lit doors to the high rise, Michiru did as she was told and pressed 1408 into the intercom buzzer. It rang for quite some time before a familiar voice picked up.

"Excuse me Michiru; I'm on a business call right now. Let yourself in; I'm in suite 1408."

Without allowing Michiru a say in the matter, the intercom hung up on the receiving end. The door sounded open with a buzz, thereby granting Michiru access into the building.

Michiru was already here; no point in wasting any more of her bedtime than necessary. Without thinking too much into it, Michiru pressed the elevator to the 14th floor of the building, in search of suite 1408.

The moment Michiru stepped out the elevator doors; the sight of Haruka standing outside her suite door, waving her over immediately caught her attention. Michiru also noticed the blonde's cellphone that was currently glued to her ear.

"That's not a problem Mr. Zuckerberg. Facebook is an important member in this integrated partnership…" Haruka spoke in fluent English. "Excuse Mr. Zuckerberg, I'm going to place you on hold for a moment."

Haruka quietly closed the door behind Michiru as she stepped into her quaint apartment. "I need to quickly take this Michiru. Your wallet is on my nightstand in that room." Haruka pointed down the hallway, to the perpendicular room of where they stood. "I'll get you something to drink. Excuse me."

With that, the blonde headed to what Michiru could only assume was the kitchen. Michiru paced down the hallway as quick as she can; she didn't want to be a bother and overstay her welcome. With her fingers on the doorknob of the white door, Michiru twisted the knob, granting her access to the room.

The room was pitch black, not a speckle of light anywhere. Michiru reached over to the side of the wall for the light switch. When she found the familiar object, she flicked it upward. The sight that greeted Michiru made her heart sink into the pit of her stomach.

The room was windowless, with four concrete walls on each side. The room resembled that of a dark room; not because of the lack of lighting but in the fact that there were dozens upon dozens of photographs hanging off wire lines attached to the walls. There were at least a hundred coloured photos clipped and hanging in mid air.

Michiru walked in closer to inspect the invasive photos. They were all pictures of her, and only her. The pictures were all crystal clear, taken in high resolution. There were photos of her in her dorm, at the hospital, grocery shopping, attending classes at Tokyo U, there were even photos taken of her from yesterday when she was a performing guest at Kimi-san's party. The montage of photos looked like they dated back several months, maybe even a year; Michiru wasn't certain herself. In each and every one of the hundred or so photos, not one of them showed Michiru looking directly into the camera; signifying only one thing: they were secretly taken without her knowledge.

A paralyzing fear shot up Michiru's spine as she neared the nightstand at the back of the room. There laying on the wooden stand was Michiru's black wallet. Lying next to the black wallet was a stack of paper. Michiru immediately recognized the documents, it was a copy of her roster with St. Michael's, and with it, her timetable for the semester at Tokyo U, it was all here, down to the very last detail of where she should be at what hour of the day.

The sound of the door slamming shut caught Michiru's ears. There standing with her back against the door was the blonde Michiru had come to know only as Haruka Tenoh. The blonde was just standing there, her hands hidden behind her back, a grin setting upon her lips, the pair of teal eyes that Michiru had come to admire as piercing now look deranged, like she had crazy eyes.

Michiru stood there frozen; her body overcame by sheer fear. From behind her back, Haruka pulled out a sharp edged scalpel in her latex worn hands.

"I told you we would meet again." Haruka whispered softly. "Game Over."

- o -

**A/N: Don't hate. Admit it, this was refreshing. I told you I would be mixing it up. No lies. Written in the first sentence of my description for the story, I told you I would be mixing it up.**

**It's about wanting to try something new. If everything was the same old, same old, then it would be vanilla, boring, and mundane. Right? Get me? Good.**

**This story is inspired by the song of the same name. But again, I don't know how I turned such an innocent song into a deranged murderous story.**

**Enjoy. Hope this story is like a glass of refreshing lemonade. Goes down great, leaves a sour taste in your mouth. Huh? What?**

**w-w-w-w-w-w-w-e-e-e-e-e-e-e…**


	3. Predator

Disclaimer: Haruka & Michiru belong to Naoko Takeuchi. Everything else belongs to me.

**Story #3: Predator**

"STOP! Please! I'm begging you! I have a 5 year old daughter. Don't do this…please…please…"

He had had enough of her pathetic whimpering; they were nothing but a turn off. He didn't like his woman talkative. Grabbing a lock of her hair in his latex worn hands, he bashed her already dirt covered face into the ground, again and again till he was satisfied with her silence.

"Stubborn bitch."

With one hand supporting his body weight, with the other he unzipped his fly. It was much easier to do the job if he had no underpants on. Without much needed encouragement, he directed his blood engorged penis into her anal cavity. Though the hole seemed too small to fit anything, he liked it snug. With one violent thrust, he was in.

As his hip began slapping itself against the unconscious woman's ass, both his hands were now gripped in a dead man's hold on the back of the woman's neck; unrelenting. As he rammed his cock deeper into the woman, the sensation of an orgasm was starting to overwhelm his pleasure senses, and as it did so, his chock hold tightened.

"Mmmm…"

Stroke after stroke. Thrust after thrust. As he came in the woman, pleasurable moans escaped his hoarse throat as he ejaculated his load, leaving his mark on her, for them. The grunting and moans emitting from him were enough to drown out the sound of the woman's trachea being forcibly crushed. It sounded like cinnamon sticks snapping.

He was done with her.

"HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? GET OFF HER YOU FREAK!"

- o -

"Dr. Kaioh, can you please state your credentials to the presiding Justice of Peace and for the court's record?"

"Certainly. I did my undergraduate work at NYU, I have a Ph.D in Abnormal Psychology from John Hopkins University, and I did my medical residency at John Hopkins Hospital in Psychiatry."

Every word that came out of Michiru Kaioh was spoken with nothing but shear confidence, and it showed. The District Attorney continued with his line of questioning. His intense, unwavering gaze not once breaking away from Michiru Kaioh.

"You're obviously more than qualified Dr. Kaioh. Please tell the court what the results are yielding from the psych evaluation you performed on the defendant."

Without moving her body from her sitting position, Michiru turned her head to lock eyes with the defendant. The cowardice look Shia Kim had on his face needed no explaining.

"From my one on one interview with Mr. Kim, I found him to be very intellectually gifted. Some may call genius. He's also highly manipulative. Often spotting one's weakness through observation and exploiting such weaknesses for personal gains."

"How so? Are there any examples?"

Michiru held up her left hand, pointing at her ring finger. "During the course of our interview, Mr. Kim was extremely uncooperative. It wasn't until Mr. Kim notices that my left ring finger is a few shades lighter than the rest of my hand that he begin to open up. This leads him to conclude that a ring was present for a long period of time, but isn't any longer. He then takes the direction of our conversation to draw on his own personal failure at developing relationships, his divorces. Though done subtlety, he was trying to use my personal feelings to pity him. A classic sign of manipulation."

"Smart. Manipulative. Calculating. What does this tell us about the defendant Dr. Kaioh?"

"These are all classic characteristics of Psychopathy."

"Psychopathy? Then that would make Mr. Kim a psychopath now wouldn't it?"

The defense lawyer leapt off his seat. "Objection. Calls for speculation."

"Oh relax Gordon, this isn't a trial. It's a competency hearing. There's no need to be so melodramatic…"

"Please be seated Mr. Johnson. Watch your mouth Mr. Lee. If nothing further, please proceed."

"Dr. Kaioh, bottom line, in layman's term, is Shia Kim competent to stand trial."

Michiru uttered one word that would see Shia Kim locked behind bars till the day he rots in Hell. "Yes."

"FUCKING CUNT! I'll kill you! Your ass is mine! MINE! You hear me? BITCH!"

- o -

Underground parking lots were usually quiet and unnaturally dim, not this one though. The place was buzzing. The moment Haruka entered the front gate to gain access to the underground lot; her retinas were pierced with industrial intensity lights. She had to physically block the light from her face before being able to proceed any further.

"Watch where you're going Tenoh!"

A familiar voice that Haruka welcomed. "What do we have Levy?"

"Homicide. Sexual assault. Looks like the workings of your perp. Where's Benji?"

"Right behind you."

The stocky detective that was the blonde's partner stepped out from behind one of the many pillars of the lot. His pen and notepad in hand. No doubt collecting statements and names of witnesses.

"This way guys. I've got bad news and good news." Though Levy was usually a lab tech, spending most of his time doing searches and scans, he was also one of the most senior and experienced officers at CSU. They needed him on active duty if they were ever going to catch the bastard.

Not too far from the entrance gate, Levy led Haruka and Benji to a secluded corner where a white chalk outline was clearly drawn.

"Got the call 45 minutes ago. Rigor hadn't set in yet so this one's fresh, maybe only hours before."

Every word that came out of Levy's mouth registered in Haruka's mind, her heart pounding against her chest, her ears drumming. This was the 3rd victim this month. The man who did this is an animal, a rabid animal that needed to be put down. He didn't deserve jail. He deserves to die.

"The perp left his calling card. There were obvious signs of fluid, but like the last time, I doubt its going to match anything in our databases."

"She a Jane Doe?"

"Yep. Like the times before, perp took everything, purse, wallet, ID. It's going to take some time to identifying these Jane Does."

Did her pounding ears hear right? Plural? True to their brotherhood bond, both Haruka and Benji asked the exact same question, simultaneously: "Jane Does?"

From the chest pocket of his lab coat, Levy produced a white business card, handing it over to Haruka.

"That was the bad news. Good news is we got ourselves a witness. The second Jane Doe's on her way to St. Luke's International. She was in pretty bad shape when paramedics found her but breathing. With any luck, she'll be able to give you guys a description."

"I'm going to call the hospital now." Benji turned his back and made the urgent call. The break in the case they've been waiting for.

"What's this then?" Haruka questioned the business card she was handed.

"The perp snatched everything from our second victim, but luckily for us, that calling card was in her back pocket. Perp must have missed it."

"This belonged to the second victim?" Haruka read the card she was handed out loud: "Dr. Michiru Kaioh. M.D."

- o -

The corridors in the courthouse were buzzing with lawyers, clients, bailiffs and so not so friendly looking defendants. But this did little to faze Michiru; with her job, there wasn't much she hadn't seen before. Seated on a bench in a sleek, yet professional suit, Michiru checked the time on her Seiko for the umpteenth time. Though this was a familiar process to her, she never much enjoyed the wait.

After almost 30 minutes of deliberation, the solid oak wood doors to the courtroom chambers finally opened, and out stepped none other than District Attorney Sungmin Lee. The man had an almost sinister-like grin on his face as he spotted Michiru. From that look alone, Michiru could guess what the results to the hearing were.

"So?" Michiru asked nonchalantly, though she already knew the answer.

"He took the plea bargain. I knew from the start their defense was bogus. I'm just glad the Judge saw through it. I mean come on! The insanity defense is way overplayed. 1 in every 3 cases the jackass claims insanity."

"Randomly pulling out statistics now are we?" Michiru asked with a suspicious high brow.

"You caught me. Guilty. Now that we're done here, what say we go grab a cup of coffee, maybe even an early dinner?" Though the young DA wasn't particularly tall, he was most definitely handsome. His black suit and accompanying silver tie only further accentuated his features. "As a thank you for closing this case."

"Is that all now?"

"And as an apology. For being late today. Department's understaffed, and juggling cases isn't one of my strengths. Thank goodness you were here to stall the Judge or I'd be spending the night in jail for contempt."

Observation was one of Michiru's strongest strengths; she wasn't blind to what's happening here. The man had been pursuing her for a date for a month now, though she didn't know how to let him down gently. Their cooperation wasn't a onetime occurrence; they would mostly likely work together again whenever they needed her expertise.

"Sungmin, you're a good man, but I don't date men…"

"…that you work with. Right." Sungmin said, finishing Michiru's sentence off for her.

"No. I just don't date men." Michiru stated firmly.

A look of confusion befell on Sungmin's face as he began to process Michiru's words. "You don't date…oh. OH."

For a man in such a high political position, he sure was dull. "But I'll still take you up on your coffee offer…just let me call my office."

Sungmin grabbed the large briefcase that he has placed down beside Michiru on the bench. "Go ahead. Meet you at the elevators. Gotta take a leak first."

Reaching into her pocket, Michiru turned her iPhone back on. The moment the home screen dissipated, her phone began ringing and vibrating off the hook. She had countless text messages and unheard voicemails that weren't there 2 hours ago. In situations like this, Michiru knew it was serious, most possibly an emergency from the hospital.

With the phone pressed tightly against her ear, Michiru played the first voicemail. As the message played itself out, Michiru's face contorted painfully, her eyebrows furrowed, lips thinned as she registered every word that was spoken.

"Shit." Was all Michiru said before she flew out the courthouse.

- o -

It was difficult to maneuver through the ER with doctors, nurses, and patients coming at you from all directions, and to add to that, Haruka had Benji on the line. It was like a bad game of Frogger.

"What about the doctor?" Benji asked. It was obvious the man was eating. Haruka's best guess was probably a donut. How cliché.

Haruka scoffed aloud. "I've left the woman at least half a dozen messages but there's still no reply. We're wasting our time on her. I doubt the woman would be much help at all Let's just pray she got a good look at the asshole who did this."

"How's she doing?"

"I don't know. I still haven't spoken with the doctor yet. I'll call you as soon as I get something. In the meanwhile, I want you to hound Levy and the M.E. I don't care if they have to pull an all nighter, we need those reports. Fiber. Semen. Hair. Fingerprint. Anything."

"I got this Haruka; it's not my first day on the job. I'll call you as soon as something drops. I gotta go now, Captain's briefing the unit." With that, Benji hung up, leaving Haruka to the madness that was a free clinic. Not knowing exactly where to go, Haruka strolled over to the nearest help desk and flashed her police ID. "Detective Tenoh. Special Victims. Can I get an update on the trauma patient that was just brought in?" From the tone of Haruka's voice, it wasn't so much as a question as it was a request.

Taping on only a few keys, the woman with an unusually squeaky voice replied: "ICU Wing. Room #262. But she's…"

Haruka was gone before the woman had even finished her sentence. All the woman could see behind her computer was the back shadow of the blonde dashing down the narrow hallway towards the stairwell.

"…still comatosed."

- o -

It was already late into the day, night was fast approaching. Correction: another sleepless night. For the past 3 days up to the latest attack, Benji had had only 5 hours of shut eye/down time. And even then they were spent at the precinct, ready on standby. If that wasn't impressive enough, Benji often wondered if his blonde partner had slept at all. It wasn't Haruka's first sexual assault case but he knew his partner better than anyone. Once the woman submerges herself in a case, she'll obsess over it till she finds the missing link.

"Give me some good news Levy." Benji said as he soon found the lab tech in the corner, typing away on a database.

"Back already? What the M.E say?"

"We won't have the report till tomorrow morning, even if we rush it as urgent. In the meanwhile, I'm hoping you can supply me with something tangible I can work with."

"It's your lucky day; I've I.D-ed our Jane Doe." Levy minimized the home screen he was typing on, instead replacing it with what looked like the surveillance footage from the lot. "The parking lot's pretty big, but unfortunately, management only has 5 cameras covering the facility. Now from camera #1, we can clearly see our victim entering the elevator down to the B1. The time code reads: 12:16. We didn't find anything on our victim, but if I freeze the frame and blow it up, you can clearly see that…"

Levy pointed at the woman's waist. If Levy hadn't blown up the picture, Benji would've most definitely missed it. "A key card."

"A scan card." Levy corrected. "It's standard issue now in most buildings in Tokyo. They're slowly phasing out the old key and lock, and what better way to do it than with digital locks. Assuming the woman works there, she got in at 12:16, so she must have signed out around 12:00, cross reference that time with the management building's database and voilà! Victim #3: Ara Noh, 33, maintenance, night shift worker at the medical centre."

"Show some respect Levy. The woman died. This isn't a lottery draw that you just won. Fast forward, see if we caught the perp on camera."

"Already did." Minimizing the other 4 cameras, Levy full screened Camera #3. "This is the only camera that caught anything. From this angle, if we paused exactly…here. We see our victim being dragged across the lot from behind by an unknown assailant, your perp. Full ski mask. Latex gloves. His usual M.O. The man came prepared. He drags her into the top right corner of Camera #3: a blind spot. The man obviously knew where he was going. This wasn't done hastily, it was premeditated."

From what Benji could see, Ara Noh had tried to fight off the perp; kicking, flailing, screaming as loud as she could, but that did nothing to alter her demise. "What about the second Jane Doe? How does she come into the picture?"

"If we fast forward and move to Camera #2, we see her entering the lot in her silver Honda Accord. She circles the lot before she finds a parking spot. The moment she gets out, she must have over heard Ara Noh's screams, so she went to check it out."

"She walked in on him. She walked in on him as the rape was going down!"

"Precisely."

"She must have seen him then! Good job Levy. I owe you big time." With the newly acquired information, Benji began typing away on his cellphone at lightning speed. Before he was out the door, he pressed 'send', updating Haruka on the latest break.

- o -

The monitor plastered on the wall was steadily beeping, the respirator steadily rising and falling with every labored breath, catheters and IV drips invaded the woman's already battered body. It was a painful sight.

"Thank you for the cutesy call Dr. Yaori." Michiru spoke in a calm and collected demeanor, though at the core, she was quivering. She had seen her fair share of victims and accidents, but she never imagined it would happen to someone she knew, someone she held so dearly.

"Don't mention it Dr. Kaioh. Good thing you don't have much outpatients like the rest of us; recognized her almost immediately Luckily she was sent to this hospital, anywhere else and it would have taken them twice as long before contacting you." The grayed hair man with a receding hairline known as Dr. Yaori handed the patient's clipboard over to Michiru.

"She has multiple lacerations of the face, a collapsed lung, and multiple fractures of the ribs. Whoever did this really kicked the living day lights out of her."

"Head trauma?"

"Only minor swelling in the frontal lobe. I'm guessing she covered her head as she was being kicked. There isn't any sign of internal bleeding but I want to keep her sedated till we can be sure."

As Michiru listened intensely to Dr. Yaori's diagnosis, she nodded her head slightly, agreeing with the man. If she was in his position, she would have done the exact same thing. Just as Michiru was about to hand the chart back to Dr. Yaori, it was the last box ticked off on the right hand corner that caught her eyes.

"A rape kit?" Michiru had thought she had only gotten mugged. A mugging gone wrong, but rape? "She was raped?"

Dr. Yaori pushed his glasses up with his index finger before replying. "Sodomy. She was sodomized. There was obvious anal trauma. A rape kit was performed. The authorities have been notified. Fluid but no semen."

"I thought the kit was just sent in for analysis…how did you…"

"Soju."

Did she just hear him right? Did he just say Soju? The Korean drink? "Soju?"

"That's correct. I've had it enough time to know. When I was collecting fluids, it was impossible to ignore the strong stench of Soju. I'm guessing the perp who did this sodomized her with a Soju bottle. She had a blood alcohol content of 0.05 BAC but nothing in her stomach contents."

Just as Michiru was about to press the subject further, it was impossible to ignore the loud and disruptive shouts emanating from beyond the door. It was unacceptable to disturb a patient like this.

"Excuse me. What's going on here?" Dr. Yaori asked impatiently as he whipped open the door.

The nurse that was tugging on Haruka's blazer was pushed off to one side as the blonde stepped through the door, badge in hand. "Detective Haruka Tenoh. Special Victims. I need to speak with the victim."

"You can't just barge in here like this! This is private property so unless you have a warrant, get out now! Nurse, call security…"

Michiru was watching everything unfold from the sideline. She gave the blonde detective a head to toe glance. Her facial expression not reflecting what she thought of the detective. Michiru gently patted Dr. Yaori on the arm. "Let me handle this."

Dr. Yaori gave Michiru a questioning look, then threw a sharp glance at the blonde that was rooted by the door. "I'll be back to check in later. Page me if anything." As Dr. Yaori side stepped out the room, he gave Haruka another piercing glare. There was nothing he hated more than a person who didn't know how to respect his patients.

Once the door clicked closed, the two occupants in the room locked eyes. Teal eyes meeting aqua.

Michiru outstretched her hand. "Michiru Kaioh."

Haruka took the woman's soft hand in her own. "Haruka Tenoh. I'm glad I finally found you Dr. Kaioh."

- o -

The shades in the room were drawn. Nothing but a dim table lamp lit the spacious room. He sat comfortably in a recliner that was facing a white egg-shell painted wall. What made this wall special was the 4 individual picture frames that was nailed to it, neatly aligned, spaced evenly so. He had always been obsessive compulsive when it came to symmetry, but that was the least of his concerns.

Each of the individual picture frames framed not photos but memorabilia. In the first frame, it held in vacuum sealed copy of the woman's driver's license. The woman smiling back in that photo made his heart melt. She was too cute for words. The second frame, in exactly the same manner, held victim #2's health card. The third frame held the woman's Japanese passport. The passport was sealed with the woman's photo side up. The last frame was empty; awaiting to seal its new owner's fate.

Victim #3 was the woman he grabbed from the parking lot today. That was her passport he found in her purse. He was his intended target. He didn't mean to hurt the other fucking nosy bitch. If only she had stayed out of it. After fucking the shit out of the woman he now knows as Ara Noh, he didn't have it in him to enjoy the second piece of ass he was handed. Instead, he found whatever he could get his hands on in the parking lot to do the job for him. Just because he couldn't get it up didn't mean she should miss out on the fun.

Now sitting alone in his spacious apartment, he was starting to regret letting that cunt's piece of ass go untouched. Good thing he had thought ahead. From within his large briefcase, he pulled out a black, slim fit pair of panties. It was what the slut was wearing when he sodomized her. Rubbing the crotch of the panties against his nose, from the depths of his lungs, he inhaled a deep breath. It smelled like…her.

As one hand held the pair of panties, with the other one he unzip his fly. The moment his fly came open, his erect cock slipped from its hiding and into the palm of his hand. As he began rubbing the shaft of his blood engorged cock with his fingers and palm, the sensation of smell brought flashbacks of the rape back before his eyes, exciting him to no end, like he was reliving the experience all over again.

As the pressure began to build up at the base of his cock, the intensity and the rapidness of the strokes increased. He tried to hold off coming as long as he could; that was always fun. When he could no longer hold on to that bursting sensation of pleasure, he released a loud, throaty moan, ejaculating his load onto the soiled pair of panties. Squeezing his cock for every last drop of his juice, he wiped his hands clean with the same lingerie before tossing it to the corner.

Picture frame #4. That was an honor reserved only for her. It was time. Game over.

- o -

Visiting hours at St. Luke's had long passed. All those left at the hospital were all personnel, stuck with the graveyard shift. In a quiet corner of the cafeteria, over a much needed cup of coffee, sat Haruka and Michiru. The day's event was taking a toll on both their mentalities.

"That's absolutely out of the question. We can't even be sure she saw anything, much less provide you with a composite sketch. She's in a lot of pain detective. To bring her out of her medically induced coma to provide you with a sketch is cruel and unusual. I'm sorry, as her doctor, I can't allow that."

Haruka bowed her head down in defeat. She knew it was a long shot but she had to ask. "Can you at least tell me her name? Let's start there."

"Her name is Noto. Mina Noto. She's a close patient of mine that I've been seeing for years now." Michiru had suggested to the blonde detective that they have this conversation elsewhere, away from Mina, allowing her the much needed rest.

"You specialize in psychiatry…"

The cup of coffee Michiru had held to her lips was forgotten as she threw the attractive detective a questioning brow.

"…I did my homework before coming. What did you treat her for?"

"You know I can't answer that detective."

"Haruka." It was strange. She had barely known the aqua haired doctor for more than an hour max, but she felt comfortable enough for her to call her by her first name.

"Alright Haruka. Regardless of Mina's condition, doctor-patient confidentiality still applies. Unless a felony or a crime has been committed, I'm not ready to void such a privilege."

"A crime has been committed! A woman was savagely attacked and another was brutally murdered today. Your client was an unfortunate witness to the incident. We need her statement. We need her testimony. I need to know if she's reliable as a witness. If anything she provides us can be validated and supported if ever used in a court of law, and for that, I need to know her mental health."

The blonde detective was definitely persistent but what she said was logically sound. Michiru had dealt with enough cases to know that Mina's testimony had only a 50/50 percent chance of convincing a jury, not with an illness like hers. Michiru took a moment to ponder over what Haruka had just said.

"No." Was Michiru's firm reply.

"No?"

"My first and foremost concern is for Mina. Everything else is secondary."

"And my first and foremost concern is for the safety of the women and children of Tokyo! If I can't do my job, there's no telling how much more woman this bastard's going to terrorize. They might not be as lucky as Mina. 3 women! 3 women have already lost their lives. Does their lives not mean anything to you?"

Haruka was pissed. And in her mind, she thought rightfully so. A technically. A God damn fucking technically. Every minute she wasted sitting here was one less minute she could be spent on the street gathering intel. This was a mistake.

"Forget it." Haruka pushed her chair back and was about to walk off when Michiru caught her arm, she too standing, the tortured dilemma she had showed on her face.

"I said I can't divulge Mina's medical history, I never said I couldn't be of assistance to the case."

Haruka stood there frozen on the spot. Michiru's hand was still on her arm. She pondered over Michiru's offer for a moment. She needed all the help she could get. Haruka plopped back down in her seat, ears open.

"I assume we're talking about the masked rapist...?" Michiru began.

Haruka nodded.

"I've been following the case too. Describe to me the nature of the sexual assault. No need to mention any names, I already know a publication ban has been issued."

Haruka gave a loud, defeated sigh before answering. "All the victims seemed to be selected randomly. Different background, social status, height, physique, and age. Nothing. These attacks all occur during the day. All we've been able to attain is an image of a man in a ski mask. That's his signature look."

"What about the rapes?"

"He stalks his woman. When he sees an opportunity arise, he drags them to a secluded area, rapes them, and strangulates them. All 3 victims were asphyxiated."

Michiru paused for a moment before crossing the room for a pen and paper. She began jotting down notes while resuming her line of questioning.

"Vaginal or anal penetration?"

"Anal only."

"Fluids?"

"Yes. We have his DNA but nothing in our database."

"So he doesn't use condoms…" It wasn't so much as a question as it was Michiru merely vocalizing her thought process.

"Doesn't look like it."

"Were any of the victims' personal belongings missing?" Michiru asked.

A glimmer of hope brightened in those teal eyes; Haruka was thoroughly amazed at the woman's abilities. The perp had stolen each of the victims' purses and with it, their IDs, but this was a detail the police had withheld from the public. "Yes. Their purses, wallets, ID, everything."

By the time Michiru was done scrawling on the notepad, it was filled with details, from top to bottom. "Rape is a usually personal. Almost 85% of all rapes committed are by relatives, friends, or acquaintances. Very rarely are they random acts of violence. Don't get me wrong, it does happen, but rarely."

She was good. "Go on."

"Anal penetration tells us that your perpetrator is acting out a fantasy. Unlike vaginal penetration where it's about asserting male dominance, power and control, where you have to face your victims and acknowledge their fear, anal penetration is more distance, interpersonal and uncommon in sexual assaults. My best guess is your perp is attacking these women to act out a fantasy, a delusional one."

"And this tells me what?"

"That your 3 victims and Mina were not randomly targeted. They all share a common link. Something that ticks off or triggers the man's sexual desire and urges. Anal penetration tells me that the perp is someone more of an acquaintance. Someone they know but none too well."

"And you got this all from the man's M.O.?" Haruka was a bit skeptical but at this point, skepticism was better than nothing.

"One's action tells us a lot about the person. The perpetrator chooses not to wear a condom when he knows perfectly well that he'll leave behind fluid. This tells me that he thinks of himself as being untouchable, as being able to outsmart the police; that he's better than you. He purposely leaves his mark for you knowing full well that there's nothing you can do about it. He wants to assert a sense of helplessness to the police. You're looking for a zealously egotistical man."

"Makes sense. Why take their personal items?"

"To the victims they were personal belongings. To him they're trophies; a reminder. Seeing the items will allow him to relive the excitement of the rape. When he isn't aroused by mere inanimate objects anymore, he'll strike again, until he gets what he wants he won't stop, he can't stop."

Haruka's got to hand it to the woman. She's barely spent an hour with her, relaying as little about the sexual assaults as possible, yet she's able to deduce in details half of what Haruka already knows, only she's wasted a month's time doing so. Haruka was intrigued. She wanted to know more about this mysterious doctor. Her intelligence, her aurora, and that mind, everything intrigued the blonde detective to no end. If Haruka wasn't in the midst of a case, she would consider asking the woman out on a date. She couldn't help herself when she asked, "Tell me more about you doc…"

Again, for the second time that night, Michiru threw Haruka another questioning look.

"…if you don't mind."

Michiru gave the woman a whole hearted smile, something she hadn't done since receiving that dreadful voicemail. "What's there to say? Recently single. I'm with the department of Psychiatry here at St. Luke's. I run a private practice out on Cherry Blossom Blvd. My life revolves around my work. If I'm not here or there, I'm down at the criminal courthouse as an expert witness. I'm anything but exciting."

"Exciting, maybe not. But I definitely find you intriguing."

"Is that a compliment Haruka?"

"You bet it is."

There definitely was a mutual attraction between the two. As their eyes connected, their line of vision not leaving one another's face. The tension was broken when Michiru's 24 hour pager went off. It was Dr. Yaori paging her.

"I have to go." Michiru ripped the piece of paper she had written on and handed it to Haruka. "I hope this helps."

Haruka reluctantly took the paper she was handed. Before she could stop herself, her lips moved before her mind could think. "When will I see you again?"

"You still have my card?"

Reaching into her blazer, Haruka handed the card over to the elegant doctor. Michiru jotted down a number before handing it back to Haruka. "You already have my cell. I usually turn it off when I'm in court, but I leave my pager on. Its 24 hour. Feel free to use it. Goodnight detective."

Even with her back turned, Haruka couldn't help herself as she eyed Michiru. Stealing a sneak peak at the doctor's perfectly sculpted ass. Only when Michiru was out of sight did Haruka turn her attention back to the M.O profile Michiru had drafted up.

"Acquaintance." Was the only word she mumbled to herself as she got back into her cruiser and began the short trip back to the precinct.

- o -

At 2:26am, Haruka walked into the office that she shared with Benji, finding the man behind his desk typing away. Benji didn't bother to look up from his screen, there was only one idiot he knew that walked voluntarily into work at 2:30am in the morning.

"You couldn't just go home…No, you had to come in." Benji mocked. "It's not bad enough we're both here, at least one of us could be grabbing some shut eye."

"And that's exactly what I'll be doing in the lounge. Here take this." Haruka handed the perp's M.O profile that was drafted only half an hour ago to Benji.

"What's this?"

"A little light reading. I want to be here when the CSU and M.E send over their reports." Haruka pulled open her desk drawer and carefully placed, holster and all, her service Glock.

"Goodnight Benji."

"Night."

- o -

"Get off me! HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

It was her. The first victim: Dedo Park. He was sitting on top of her, his body weight crushing down on her lungs, suffocating her from inside out. Dedo's hands were feverishly grabbing at the pair of pantyhose that was now tied around her neck, constricting her windpipe, chocking the life out of her.

"You smell just like her…" The masked rapist bent down and inhaled a lock of Park's hair.

Haruka was watching this unfold before her. She could feel the veins on her neck popping from the pent up frustration and anger she was experiencing. She wanted oh so badly to pound the fucker's face in, to beat him till he no longer moved, but her body was completely frozen. She couldn't so much as lift a finger. Haruka tried again, with all her might to move her legs, to get there, to help Dedo Park but her efforts were futile, she didn't budge. Haruka stood there beside Dedo Park, helplessly watching as she was brutally raped.

"GET OFF HER FUCKER!" Haruka screamed. "GET OFF!"

Nothing. It was like she was invisible. Dedo Park couldn't hear her. The mask rapist couldn't hear her. Nobody could.

Haruka closed her eyes shut. She couldn't stomach the attack a moment longer, not when it was happening before her and she was powerless to help. With her eyes closed, Haruka's head began pounding as Dedo Park's screams soon filled the secluded lot; her bloody scream, her last gasp of air, her deflating lungs, it filled Haruka's head.

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" Haruka screamed. The moment Haruka flung her eyes open, frustration evident on her face, she came face to face with Michiru. Michiru deep aqua eyes were staring back at Haruka, their faces mere inches apart. Haruka felt Michiru's breath on her lips.

"Michiru? Michiru! Help her! Go help her!"

"Help who Haruka?" Michiru's voice sounded so angelic, so soft, and so gentle; like she didn't have a care in the world.

"Dedo Park!"

"That's not Dedo Park."

"What are…?" Michiru wasn't making any sense. "She's right…" Haruka's words fell out of her mouth as she looked down to where the woman now laid lifelessly on the cold ground floor. The woman wasn't Park anymore; it was Iva Ten, the second victim. "That's can't be. It was Park. I saw him! I saw her! Why am I here Michiru?"

Haruka turned her attention away from Iva Ten's body and back to Michiru but she was gone. Like she was never there to start with.

"Michiru? Michiru!"

- o -

"Michiru!"

A hand reached out to touch Haruka's shoulder. Reacting automatically, Haruka flung her eyes open, took the hand in both her hands and twisted the invasive hand inward, applying pressure on the wrist.

"FUCK! It's me Benji! Let go!" Benji was down on his knees, his body arched at an awkward angle, leaning towards his entrapped hand to lighten the building pressure on his wrist.

Haruka immediately released Benji's hand. It took her a few moments to gather her thoughts and regroup. Realizing that Benji was still on the floor, Haruka ran over to give the man a hand. "Shit! I'm sorry Benji. I…I didn't…I…" Haruka was stuttering, unable to collect herself.

"You look like shit Haruka." From what Benji could see, Haruka's entire forehead was drenched in sweat, like she had been running for miles non-stop. "You were dreaming out loud. Calling that doctor's name. Then you began thrashing like mad, like you were seizing."

"Michiru!"

Benji rubbed his aching wrist; it was starting to swell slightly. "Yeah. That's the one."

"No! I mean it's Michiru!"

"You running a fever Tenoh? You sound delusional. You go out there like this, and the Captain will send you straight home."

"Grab the file folder. Now Benji!"

"Acquaintance. How could I have missed this?" Haruka slammed her forehead with the palm of her hand.

"Are you talking about Dr. Kaioh M.O profile? I went through it last night. It sounds logical but logic and psychos don't mix." Benji tried reasoning with the delusional blonde.

"Where are you most likely to meet an acquaintance? It's not going to be at an all you can eat sushi bar or an ice cream parlor; its work. At work! That's the missing link connecting these women!"

Haruka picked up a black marker and began writing down the names of all 3 rape victims.

"In the file, what's Park's occupation?" Haruka asked hastily, as if expecting Benji to know all the information by heart

"Uh…" Benji scanned through the mountain of paper before shouting his answer. "Court interpreter. She's a court interpreter. Fluent in English, Japanese and Korean. She worked as a freelance court interpreter."

Victim#1: Dedo Park. Court interpreter.

"What about Iva Ten?"

"I remember this one; she was an insurance broker with I.Y.F. I remembered cause that's the same insurance company I'm with."

Victim#2: Iva Ten. Insurance Broker. I.Y.F.

"And Ara Noh?"

"Maintenance worker at the Minato Medical Centre on Cherry Blossom Blvd."

Victim#3: Ara Noh. Maintenance worker. Medical Centre.

When Haruka had jotted down all 3 victims' names on the board, she connected the three individual circles to the bubble centered between them: Michiru Kaioh.

"She's the missing link. These women weren't randomly targeted. No. They were targeted because of Michiru Kaioh. Dedo Park worked as a court interpreter. Michiru too works at the courthouse providing evaluations and testimony as a psychiatrist."

"That's a little too farfetched Haruka, even for me. Just because they worked under the same roof doesn't necessarily mean they know each other."

"Iva Ten. Insurance broker. I'm willing to bet my entire pension that medical insurance claims were billed to her from St. Luke's. Check her clienté list."

Benji didn't need to be told twice. He began running his finger through the list of companies Ten's been associated with and to his surprise, Haruka was right. Several of Ten's clients were patients at St. Luke's International Hospital "This is bizarre. Let me guess, Ara Noh worked as a maintenance worker where Dr. Kaioh runs her private practice."

"Bingo. That also explains why Mina Noto was also attacked. It wasn't random. She's one of Michiru Kaioh's patient. She was there for her appointment with Michiru. That's why she was attacked."

"And she's next." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

Haruka quickly checked the time on her watch. It read: 10:23am. "Shit. Call the Captain; have him place a protective order on Michiru Kaioh."

"I'm on it."

Grabbing her cellphone from her pockets, Haruka dialed Michiru's direct line. It went directly to her voicemail. Haruka hung up and redialed. Again, the same thing. Retrieving her service Glock from her drawer, Haruka gave the number one last try. The phone never rang. Not once, always going to voicemail. Haruka had a bad feeling about this.

Replaying yesterday's flirtatious conversation with the doctor, Haruka remembered Michiru mentioning that she didn't usually turn off her cellphone in case of patient emergencies. And the only time when she did, was if she was at the courthouse.

"Shit!"

- o -

Michiru rapped the hardwood door a bit harder than the last, hoping for a response. When none came, she started to get worried. The DA's office had just issued her an urgent page. It was unlike Sungmin to play prank calls when it came to something as serious as an urgent page. Just as Michiru was about to turn and leave, maybe find a court officer, the hardwood door suddenly came unhitched, opening only a small sliver.

"Sungmin?"

Michiru slowly pushed the door open, gaining access to the dark room. As Michiru slowly, at baby steps, edged forward, her arms outstretched, the hairs on her arm were standing on its end. Something didn't feel right. Using the side of the walls as a guide, Michiru soon found the light switch. The moment the lights flickered on, what greeted Michiru took her breath away.

The office had been ransacked. Books and papers littered the floor, chairs were overturned, the place was a mess. But it wasn't the mess that choked the air out of Michiru's lungs; it was what she saw afterwards.

Lying in the middle of the room, in the DA's office, in a pool of blood was Sungmin Lee. Michiru's entire body froze, her mind wiped blink. All she did was stare at Sungmin; a man she had come to enjoy the company of, a man she thought of as a friend, as he returned her stares, his eyes agape, cold, and lifeless.

There was more than a gallon of blood on the hardwood floor. It was too much for one person to survive. Though she already knew the answer, she had to check, she had to be sure. Cautiously inching forward, Michiru bent down and with her middle and index finger, she checked for a pulse on his neck. 15 seconds. 30 seconds. Nothing. There was nothing she could have done for him.

This was now a crime scene. Michiru knew better than to wander around a crime scene without protective gear, it may potentially compromise evidences. As Michiru began to slowly back away from the room, a repressed murmur caught her ears. Michiru tried to focus in on the noise. It wasn't a voice though, it sounded more like a ringtone, or at least she thought so.

Slowly, Michiru began crossing the dimly lit room into the abyss, every step she took, she did so cautiously. The noise was emitting from underneath the overturned couch in the room. Bending down to reach for the object, her delicate fingers soon found the ringing cellphone.

Michiru read the name on the home screen. She couldn't believe her eyes.

"That can't be right. What…?."

A sudden jolt struck her spine, and it was soon followed by a painful stinging sensation near the back of her neck, near her Trapezius muscle. Michiru recognized that painful sting from anywhere: it was the sensation of a syringe puncturing the human flesh.

Her body turned into jelly. Michiru blacked out.

- o -

By the time Haruka had made her way to the courthouse, a good 20 minutes had passed, not counting all the red lights she recklessly ran. Haruka was familiar with the courthouse, she had on several occasion given sworn testimonies, but the courthouse was simply too big for a one man search; too time consuming. Haruka was starting to panic as she flailed left and right, hoping to catch a glimpse of the doctor's unique hair colour.

Until backup arrived, she resorted to the next best thing. Security. Haruka dashed across the hall towards security. Michiru wasn't a registered personnel; she had to of sign in. Haruka flashed her badge and her Glock to the guard on duty.

"Haruka Tenoh. Special Victims. I need you to check if one Kaioh, Michiru signed in. I need to know when and where."

"I'm sorry detective, but you'll have to speak…"

Haruka jumped across the desk and lifted the man up by the collar of his uniform. "That wasn't a request. DO IT!" Haruka hissed dangerously.

The man swallowed a large lump that had collected in his throat. He eyed Haruka then her Glock. "Okay."

Haruka dropped the man back onto his seat as he began typing. "Dr. Michiru Kaioh. Signed in 30 minutes ago."

"Where?"

"Her key card was last swiped on the 8th floor. Justice department."

Haruka took off with the power and agility of a professional runner at the 100m dash. From afar, the guard had yelled after her.

"Take the stairs. Elevators are under maintenance."

Haruka shoved the door to the stairwell open with her shoulders and began the frantic dash up the flights of stairs. 8th floor. Haruka rounded corner after corner, flight after flight; just as Haruka was able to round another corner, a faint yet familiar beeping noise caught her sharp ears.

Haruka's violent stop in mid flight caused her to snap her left ankle when she landed awkwardly; immense amounts of pain began radiating throughout the blonde's body, though she felt little to nothing, the adrenaline in her body was temporarily suppressing the pain receptacles. She was on the 7th floor. She carefully limped back down an entire flight of stairs. There in the corner of the 5th floor, near a pile of office trash was a black beeper.

As Haruka picked the small pager up, it beeped again. The pager flashed Haruka's number. That was when Haruka recognized the familiar sound. The pager she was holding was the very same one Michiru had on her yesterday, when they were at the cafeteria. Haruka's back slammed against the concrete wall, her legs giving out from under her, the buzzing black pager still in hand.

It was too late. He had her. She was too late.

- o -

Michiru's head tipped forward like she was dozing off, back and forth, back and forth. The pain radiating from the back of her neck began to wake her from her sedation. The left eye, then the right eye. It didn't take too long for Michiru's eyes to adjust to the lighting of the room, everything was so dimly lit.

Michiru tried moving her hands, her legs but they were tightly bound to the arms and legs of the chair. The binding was so tight that Michiru could barely feel her legs; characteristic of insufficient oxidization.

"Finally, you're awake."

With much effort and pain, Michiru lifted her head to meet the owner of the familiar voice.

The scalpel he held in his hand glistened in the dark abyss.

"We meet again Michiru."

- o -

**A/N: I have no idea where this came from but I came up with this story in the middle of the night whilst eating an Oh-Henry bar. I kid you. But no seriously, does anybody here know Dick Wolfe? Cause I'll love you write an episode of SVU. **

**All kidding aside, I guess I'm back to writing again after my hiatus. I'm going to get back to working on 'What's Left of Me', see if I can finish that before I begin my other projects.**

**I purposely left the ending as a cliffhanger. Tell me what you think. Or who you think it is. Like or dislike. **


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